The national teachers’ festival in Binh Dinh has provided a good opportunity for vocational teachers to share their experiences in applying new teaching methods in vocational training, said State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan.

Vietnam and Angola have vowed to increase cooperation between the two parties and two states in socio-politic and science and technology areas.

Ceremonies were held in Da Nang city on July 19 to inaugurate the Thuan Phuoc bridge and start construction work on a new bridge spanning the Han River.

Milestone No 525 was planted on July 18 at the Cha Lo-Na Phau joint International Border Gate that links the central province of Quang Binh with Khammuon province of Laos.

The 18th session of the 13th Hanoi Municipal People’s Council closed on July 17 with the adoption of five solutions to advance socio-economic development in the second half of this year.

The Party, Government and people of China always esteem the development of relations with neighbouring countries, particularly its traditional cooperation and friendship with Vietnam, said a Chinese senior official.

Vietnam has come out strong against the latest bomb blasts in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Vietnam-Cambodia relationship over recent years has been developing unceasingly both in depth and scope with higher efficiency.  

The fourth round of talks regarding the signing of a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Vietnam and the European Union concluded in Hanoi on July 17.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet on July 17 extended his condolences to the Iranian President, Mahmoud Admadinejad, over the July 15 crash of an Iranian airliner.

Diverse activities will be carried out across the country to mark the 40th anniversary of the late President Ho Chi Minh’s Testament (September 2).

The National Assembly Standing Committee on July 17 discussed government proposals to allocate additional bond sales in 2009 and adjust tax revenues on a hefty profit made by oil and gas contractors due to the soaring price of oil.

The Vietnam National Assembly (NA) Ethnic Council has held a seminar on how to use the state budget more effectively and supervise investment projects in mountainous areas for ethnic minorities.

The State must soon build an infrastructure for e-government, as its prime goal is to provide a favourable environment for the supply of services for the benefit of people and the national economy, officials have said.

The 15 th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit closed in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on July 16, agreeing to select Iran to host the 16 th NAM Summit in 2012.

Under the leadership of Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly, Tong Thi Phong, the NA Standing Committee on July 16 discussed the draft Law on Health Examination and Treatment and the Law on the Elderly.

Choummaly Sayasone, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and State President, highly valued the sincere and effective assistance from the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) to Laos while receiving a high-level delegation of the VWU in Vientiane on July 16.

The Party and State always appreciate the cooperative sector’s contributions to the country’s socio-economic development, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has said.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet on July 16 met with Cuban, Egyptian and Algerian leaders on the sidelines of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Egypt.

Chai Chidchob, President of the National Assembly of Thailand and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, will pay an official visit to Vietnam from July 21-13.

Party leader Nong Duc Manh attended the graduation ceremony of the National Defence Institute for the 2008-2009 academic year in Hanoi on July 16. 

A conference was held in the southern province of Ben Tre on July 16 to honour nearly 600 delegates from 63 provinces and cities who have rendered great service to the revolution.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem will lead a Vietnamese delegation to attend the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and other related-meetings, which will be held in Phuket, Thailand from July 19-23.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong said on July 15 that he highly valued the contributions made by dignitaries, clergymen and followers of the Minh Su and Minh Ly sects during the wars of resistance against foreign aggressors and during the period of national reconstruction.

The National Assembly Standing Committee started a three-day meeting on July 16 to discuss a range of issues, including plans to build the new Parliament House and changes in State budget collection.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has asked provinces in the Mekong Delta to focus on effectively implementing the government’s resolutions on stimulus packages and strive to reach an economic growth rate of 9 percent this year.

A senior Vietnamese diplomat at the UN Security Council has hailed the recent visit to Myanmar by the UN chief, saying it was “timely and necessary given the overall situation in Myanmar at this juncture”.

Despite the global economic and financial crisis, Vietnam-France relations are growing fruitfully, both bilaterally and multilaterally, becoming a model of partnership between the developing and developed countries.

The National Assembly will adopt policies aimed at creating the best possible conditions for Canadian investors to do long-term business in Vietnam, said NA vice chairman Nguyen Duc Kien.

State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan and her entourage have paid a three-day visit to Lai Chau province, which was worst hit by recent floods.